Amarillo Auto Shop’s Annual Wheels to Prosper Giveaway Draws Record 160+ Nominations; Straight-A Student With No Family Nearby Receives Fully Restored Ford F-150

AMARILLO, Texas, April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — When Aardvark Automotive opened nominations for its annual Wheels to Prosper car giveaway this winter, four people independently wrote in about the same person: an 18-year-old high school student named Mya who has been homeless since her junior year, has no family within a thousand miles, and is still pulling straight A’s. Her school counselor wrote in. A community member wrote in. The single mother who recently took the teen into her home wrote in. And Mya herself submitted her own letter. None of the four knew the others had applied.

On Saturday, Mya received the keys to a fully restored 2010 Ford F-150 Crew Cab—complete with a brand-new remanufactured engine and a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty—donated by Aardvark Automotive at the shop’s Canyon Drive facility in Amarillo.

Mya’s living situation with her mother became unworkable during her junior year, and her mother relocated to Ohio—more than a thousand miles away. Since September 2025, Mya has bounced between friends’ homes searching for stability. She moved in with a new family she hoped would become permanent, but within three months was asked to leave because she couldn’t be on their lease. She described the moment in her nomination letter as heartbreaking. Despite everything, she has maintained straight A’s and recently transferred to Midway Alternative School to free up daytime hours to work.

The four nominations arrived over several weeks, each telling a consistent story from a different vantage point. Monica Tijerina, a single mother who took Mya into her home in late December after the teen’s classmate told her Mya had nowhere to go, wrote that her boss lets her leave work early so her daughter can pick Mya up from school. “I wish I could help her with a vehicle, but I just don’t have the resources,” Tijerina wrote. Community member Monica Kalka described Mya as a kind and loving young woman who relies entirely on others to get to school and work. School counselor Sasha Reilly at Randall High School wrote that Mya shows “remarkable perseverance” and that without a vehicle, Mya cannot secure steady employment or attend required classes, testing, and labs.

In her own letter, Mya wrote: “Without a car, I can’t keep a job, which makes it impossible to save money or improve my situation. Despite all this, I am proud to say I am a straight-A student, working hard to build a better future for myself.”

The donated truck underwent a comprehensive restoration at Aardvark Automotive’s Canyon Drive facility, including a new remanufactured engine with a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty. Aardvark funded the majority of the restoration out of pocket, with O’Reilly Auto Parts contributing parts and KFDA NewsChannel 10 partnering as a media sponsor.

“When you see one person nominated four separate times by people who don’t even know each other, that tells you everything,” said Donna at Aardvark Automotive. “She didn’t ask anyone to feel sorry for her. She asked for a chance. That’s exactly the kind of person Wheels to Prosper was built for.”

This year’s program drew over 160 nominations—a record for Aardvark Automotive. The Wheels to Prosper initiative, launched in 2011, mobilizes independent auto repair shops across the country to restore and donate vehicles to individuals facing transportation hardships. The recipient is responsible for tax, title, registration, and six months of insurance.

About Aardvark Automotive

Aardvark Automotive is a family-owned, full-service auto repair shop at 5825 Canyon Drive in Amarillo, Texas. Founded in 1980, the shop specializes in European, Asian, and American vehicles. Rated 5 stars on 879 reviews, Aardvark is ASE-certified, BBB-accredited, and a member of the Automotive Service Association. Visit www.aardvarkautorepair.com or call (806) 310-5334.

About Wheels to Prosper

Wheels to Prosper is a nationwide initiative launched in 2011 in which independent auto repair shops restore and donate vehicles to community members facing transportation hardships. The program embodies the auto repair industry’s capacity for community impact beyond the service bay.

Media Contact: Donna / Aardvark Automotive • (806) 310-5334 • www.aardvarkautorepair.com
Photos, video, and nomination documents available upon request.

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SOURCE Aardvark Automotive